Pokemon: Atlas
by Vortex The Victini
Summary: Tyson is just a normal teen from Sinnoh, or so he thinks. As his life spirals out of control, he is forced to cope with dangers around every corner. When he and his mom move to another region, things get somewhat better and somewhat worse ,yet all he wonders about is, "What's so special about being a Atlas?" RATED T for Violence/Mild Language. (Prev. called Atlas of the Lion)
1. Chapter 1: Atlas

**Hey guys, this is my first story so any reviews/tips/criticism is encouraged. Just please no hating or flaming. I would like some tips on how to improve my writing. So thanks. Enjoy the chapter ^_^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Nintendo. I am not affiliated with them in anyway. This is a fan made story. I do own my OC's though.**

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Human Speech- "Example"  
Pokemon Name- Examplemon  
Pokemon Speech- "_Example"_  
Thoughts- '_Example'_  
Pokemon Moves- **Example Ray**

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Running, running never to stop. Ever. Feet pounding against the asphalt inside this maze of alleyways. Swiveling on my heel, I took a right, then a left, and another right. The paths and directions all blurred together in my clouded mind as I ran. _Come on idiot, run faster! DO YOU WANT TO DIE?!_ Shaking my head violently to rid myself of the nagging voice, I began to focus on my surroundings.

_Can I reach a window? No, they're too high. I could try to climb… who am I kidding, I'm not some freaking Aipom!_ Thunderous claps could be heard in the distance, as droplets of water began to pour down around me, as if nature was trying to shield me from my fate. Splashing sounds echoed around me, as my legs burned with exhaustion. Fire climbed up from the depths of my limbs, and into my lungs. Breathes became short bursts as I slowed to a passive jog.

"There's the little freak! Bash his brains in!" My body erupted into a blast of movement, my eyes scanning every crack, every hole, while looking for my escape. My safety, my freedom. Swerving into the next ally, with freedom at my fingertips I was almost giddy with joy, and all of that was ripped away from me as I felt a slight tug on my hoodie. Weightlessness overtook my senses, only for them to be obliterated with pain a moment later, as I was rag dolled directly into the side of a dumpster. Body slumping over, a thin flow of blood trailed itself down my face, but luckily not enough to impair my vision. Gazing upwards, a group of around six to eight large men, aged around their twenties, approached me. Fear munched on my mind, as I saw baseball bats, crow bars and some axes being held by numerous members of the gang.

"Well, what do we have here boys? It seems we've just found a little rat." The owner of the voice sauntered forward. Rain pelted his grotesque figure, as he squatted down in front of my beaten down body. Lightning flashed for only a moment, but time seemed to slow to a halt, and allowed me to see what has hiding in the shadows.

He was a freakish man, he was calling me a rat yet his face resembled a Rattata more than mine did. He seemed to be standing at around 5 foot 7 with wisps of brown hair laying upon his bruised head. Tattoos marked his lightly muscled arms, and in his left hand he held a stout hunting knife, and in his right hand… well, he didn't have one. He wouldn't be much of a challenge on even terms, but at the moment, fairness was burning in a lava pit somewhere. A breath was released from his ugly mouth, and I recoiled from the foul stench. Disgust filled my mind as I thought why in the heck it smelled so bad. What, did a freaking Muk and a Garbodor have a baby, and it sat in a primeape's armpit for a month, then he ate a sample?! Yeah, it was **AWFUL! **

The man twirled the knife in his hand, as he began to speak. While giving an extremely creepy grin, with less teeth then normal. "Okay freak, we have given you plenty of chances for you to tell us what we want. But, because you deemed yourself to be uncooperative, we shall just kill you. Write a "ransom" letter of sorts, then after the information is received we shall murder the rest of your family. Sound great?" He smiled with a toxic grin, a gleam of murderous emotions evident in his eyes. "Goodbye, Atlas scum." Cold steel was pressed against my neck, knowing it was the end, I did nothing. I only thought about my mom. And if she would ever forgive me, forgive me for hating her. For being a worthless brat. For not trying. Yet, low and behold, fate decided to say **NOPE NOPE NOPE**.

The man squawked in surprise as a unknown creature tackled him from seemingly, out of the dumpster. Bellowing with rage, he stood after being attacked, and rushed forward in a berserk fashion, with an intent to kill. The small entity defending me dashed toward the man, yet swooped to the side, and seemed to bite his arm. Yet, it wasn't a normal bite. As when it let go, the man screamed something, that I honestly did not expect.

"IT FROZE MY BLOODY ARM! **KILL THE THING!**" Swiveling around 90 degrees, he came to discover that his 'gang' left him for dead. Turning to me, he dropped his knife and began to walk down the alley, laughing like an insane person the entire time.

"One day, I **WILL** kill you, cause I know you. I know everything about you….Tyson Atlas… all you freaks will DIE one day!" He finished his threatening speech before jogging away. Leaving me in the alley with whatever monster attacked them. I knew it was a Pokemon, and it happened to know **Ice Fang**, so whatever it was, it would have no problem with killing me instead. Yet, nothing came. Several minutes later, the Pokemon stepped out from behind a trash can. My eyes widened as I gazed upon the Pokemon that were thought to have gone extinct in Sinnoh.

The Pokemon tilted its head to the left and looked at me, and said one thing that changed my life, forever.

"Shinx?"


	2. Chapter 2: We're moving WHERE!

**Hey Guys! Sorry for not updating sooner! I was busy on the weekend, and I just happened to be sick today so I thought "Why not". So here ya go, enjoy the chapter! ^_^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Nintendo. I am not affiliated with them in anyway. This is a fan made story. I do own my OC's though.**

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Human Speech- "Example"  
Pokemon Name- Examplemon  
Pokemon Speech- "_Example"_  
Thoughts- '_Example'_  
Pokemon Moves- **Example Ray**

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Shocks ran through my veins as I quickly sat up in my seat. My body was quivering franticly as I tried to calm myself. Wearing a coating of sweat, I realized that my ear drums were popped, _'My ears are popped? That only happens…. Oh…'_ My mother was in the seat adjacent to mine, when she turned to me, her face fell into a frown.

"Tyson, you alright honey?" She asked with a worried tone. I loved my mother, yet she had the problem of over reacting… to EVERYTHING! I gave her a curt nod, confirming that I was okay; somewhat confused and sweaty, but overall I was fine. "Okay, well we're about to land, so get all you're gadgets and stuff together. And don't forget Axel's pokeball either".

Unzipping my carryon bag that rested at my feet, I quickly shoved all my gadgets that I didn't need with me into its depths. My hand then clasped around a small sphere that had resided at the bottom of the bag, it was a pokeball. Gleams of light reflected off the ball's shiny exterior. It was fairly new after all. I never went travelling anywhere after the incident, so it had nowhere and no way to become damaged. Three months ago, the Shinx that is inside the pokeball saved my life.

-_FLASHBACK_-

_"Shinx?" The small Pokémon tilted it's head to the left, as it slowly approached my beaten down body. With my vision becoming hazy, and fatigue settling in, I forced myself to my feet, and began to limp down the alley, to my home. _

_ Rain pelted my bare face and arms, as I slowly traversed the sidewalk. Attempting to avoid every puddle, and there were a lot of them; basically the sidewalk could almost be described as a river. Turning the corner, my arm rested atop a cement post. Eyes drifting upwards, I read the number of the apartment complex. Warmth seeped into my bones as I climbed the cement stairs._

_ Once inside, I started to ascend the many flights of torturous stairs, until I would reach my floor. During that time, a weird feeling was developing in my mind. I felt as if I was being watched, or even; being followed…_

_ Arriving at the door to my home, my battered hands fumbled for the key that resided in my pocket, only for me to take out a few pieces on lint, and a gum wrapper. Knowing I had lost my key on the way home, I banged on the door with the side of my fist._

_ Creaking sounds vibrated throughout the hallway, as the door opened with a rush of air, and my mother embraced me in a tight hug. But, before she rushed me inside to tend to my injuries, she glanced down and gasped. Confusion tore through my mind, as I also turned around, and saw who my stalker was. I knelt down as my hand rested upon the Shinx's head._

_-END OF FLASHBACK-_

Ever since then, my mother has been treating Axel like a king. But, she sometimes gave him too much attention, and he would hide in numerous places to avoid her suffocating love. Well, he did save my life; so of course my mother would be over joyed and be obsessed over her only son's savior. Luckily her little obsession ended right before we decided to move. My mother declared that Veilstone City was, and I quote; "Too dangerous for her little boy to grow up in". But no matter how much I told her I didn't want to move, I eventually agreed to the idea. I had no real friends in Veilstone City or in Sinnoh for that matter. So moving to Kanto would be a fresh start for my mother and me. Also, I wanted to go on my journey as a trainer soon. And because I had a racist teacher for Biology and Region Studies (Same teacher, different classes) I only knew about Pokémon from Sinnoh.

I clipped Axel's pokeball to my belt, as a soft, yet stern; feminine voice came over the PA.

"Attention all passengers, we will be landing at Viridian International Airport momentarily. Thank you for flying with Kanto Airlines." I gazed out my window to the land below, only for me to see a small figure sitting on the wing of the plane. I blinked a few times and looked again, only for the spot it had been sitting was empty. Was it real? I was sure I had seen a pink cat thing, sitting on the plane.

Shrugging my shoulders, I directed my attention to the ground below. Dense forests housing a few lakes here and there surrounded the airport, off in the distance I could see a large mountain range, although; it seemed to be made of only one mountain.

"Ah, yes. The beauty that is Mount Silver, fascinating isn't it? It's crazy that just one mountain can separate two regions." My head whipped around 90 degrees to see a man that was in the seat behind me, but had stood up somewhat. He seemed to be around his early 20's, with spikey; brownish-orange hair. His upper body was covered by a sleek, dark black jacket, with a dark orange collar. Navy blue jeans, and black sneakers completed his attire as I stared at the man.

Snapping out of his daze, the man turned to me with a smile. His hand reached over the seats, as if asking for a handshake. "Sorry if I startled you, I have a problem of doing that to people." He admitted sheepishly, I quickly shook his hand and tried to dismiss his presence. Being not very fond of new people made me seem rude at first, yet surprisingly I heard the man's voice continue on.

"So, I am assuming that you are new to Kanto?" he said with a perplexed tone. Swiveling in my seat I gave him a curt nod. "Well, let me be the first native to say welcome! Also, the name's Gary. Gary Oak." Eyes widening, I pointed at him and my mouth dropped open in awe.

"Gary Oak?! As in _the_ Gary Oak, that is one of; more or less the most powerful Trainers in Kanto?! And the grandson to Professor Oak?!" The words escaped my mouth so quickly I barely had time to register them in the brain. A small smirk appeared on his face as he confirmed my questions.

"The one and only! But I wouldn't say the most powerful. There are a few others that are just as good." He stated with a wave of his hand. Now, just because I knew nothing about any Pokémon from Kanto, doesn't mean I didn't know anything about Kanto. My Kanto knowledge mostly covered information about the most powerful trainers, the elite four, the gym leaders and the professor.

Gary stopped smiling for a second as his eyes focused on me, then his eyes seemed to light up. "Wait a minute, your that new kid from Sinnoh that's moving here aren't you? Tyson Atlas I presume?"

A puzzled look adorned my face. "Yeah that's me. How'd you know?"

"Well," he started comically "when gramps found out a new to-be trainer was moving here, he couldn't stop talking about it. There hasn't been many new trainers lately so he was overjoyed. Also, you are wearing heavier clothing, well Sinnoh does happen to be the coldest region so it's a given."

Vibrations shot through my body as the plane came into contact with the hot cement. After we departed the plane, I said goodbye to Gary and watched as he strolled outside the airport and took a pokeball from his belt. The sphere opened up and a beam of red light shot out, and suddenly there was a massive bird in front of Gary. He quickly jumped onto the feathered beast and sat on it's back, waving to us as the avian shot into the sky. Awestruck at just seeing my first Kanto Pokémon, I was in a daze until we left the building. And oh my gosh…. was it ever warm here! Being the middle of summer here, it was quite the shock being in this weather. Even though it was summer in Sinnoh it was still colder than this! Air rushed into my lungs as I took a big breath of air. This is it, my new home. Well, not in Viridian. Wait, where were we even moving to?!

"Uhhh mom, where are we exactly moving to?" I said in a confused fashion. She turned to me with a big smile from ear to ear.

"You shall see when we get there." '_Oh great, that's reassuring'_ Soon enough a taxi arrived for us, and as I was lifting the luggage into the trunk of the shuttle, I heard my mom whispering to the cab driver. _'Better not eavesdrop. Its only ever gotten me into trouble'_

After nearly 2 hours of driving I decided to look out the window. As I was extremely bored, and didn't know how much longer this ride would take. My eyes instantly focused on a sign which read –Route 1-

_'Oh boy…'_


	3. Chapter 3: Living in the Past

**Heyoooo! Long time no type! I am so sorry for not updating this in like a year, but I had run out of motivation for this story. But then, I posted a comment on a Eragon Fancfic by NeverBeforeOrAgain. And they actually came here and commented on my story. I can honestly say that the comment was left on May 15th and I didn't see it until the 25th but oh well! Seriously, Never your comment made me want to continue this story and make it something great. I thank you from the bottom of my heart! And if anyone else is new to my story please leave a review as it is what drives me to improve my writing! And go check out NeverBeforeOrAgain, as their stories are awesome! Anyway, on with the story! (PS: this entire chapter was written on my ipod xD first for me)**

**Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Nintendo in any way. I do not claim ownership over Pokemon or Nintendo, but I do own my OC's. **

Dust permeated the surrounding air as the door squealed while releasing a faint echo throughout the house. My hand swiftly broke free from the rusted doorknob, it's brass coloration faded along with the glazed finish. Eye's of curiosity roamed the withered and musky room I had been given during the duration of our stay. Which was permanent... Oh joy.

With a sigh, I trotted on heavy feet to the centre of the bed chamber. It was of adequate size, a single sized bed sat in the farthest corner of the room, lifted upon a perch of oakwood design. I define it as a perch as the bed frame was adorned with carvings of feathers, leaves and sticks. The light beige mattress did not aid in the situation either. Aside from the idea of sleeping in a human sized birds nest, my gaze continued its advancing scan of my havens contents. A wooden nightstand sat next to the bed, the chestnut polish barley noticeable as time had took it's course. I also noticed how the bottom drawer was missing, and the top drawer favoured a flat surface, the handle been long misplaced.

Swivelling, my eyes travelled to the adjacent corner of the bed, which harboured a battered dresser adorned with cobwebs and scratches. '_And that concludes our tour... This is ridiculous, why must we live here!'_

It had been an hour since the cab dropped the Sinnoh duo off in their destination. Which just so happened to be the beautiful ocean side Pallet Town. To say I was ecstatic to be there was an understatement. Unfortunately, my mother then revealed that our domain she purchased was quite a ways from the opening of the town. Knowing how my mother was always right, I trusted her. And hey, what harm could a walk on a sunny day cause? In my case, a lot of harm. As we began the voyage, my mother began toward the eastern side of the town which only led into the forest. I then began to ponder what was happening, but I decided to keep to myself.

Turns out, trusting my mom wasn't the best move sometimes. As she led me on a thirty minute trek through the forest, luckily it was on a worn dirt path so we didn't have to encounter many wild pokemon. Occasionally a caterpillar-isk pokemon would skirt along the path, only to ignore us and continue on. But that's not the point. The point is that when we finished the walk, my brow began to fold as I almost facepalmed at the sight I was forced to behold.

"Well, here we are! I know it is quite a ways from town, but it should suit us just fine! What do you think Ty?" My mothers eyes shined as she turned to me, a beam of happiness radiating from her. Yet, I then studied the building and drooped. My to be home was a somewhat large yet, not to small wood cabin. Which rested in a meadow decorated by a fields of flowers, and clovers. A not to large stream to the west of the building ran with water of liquid silver. Well, at least Axel will like it here.. I then returned my studying to the cabin. The front porch held a small chair swing which was obviously broken. and every window I could see was either boarded up or smashed. The place basically scream archaic! I really wanted to turn to my mom and ask her if she was out of her mind for buying this, then storm off! Yet somehow I managed the will to be courteous and thankful.

"I think, it isn't as bad as I thought?" I said with a slight cringe enveloping my voice. My mother released a sigh along with a small laugh.

"I know it isn't what you imagined Ty, but there were very few options available. So we will just have to make do with what we have." The words left her lips upon a heavy sigh.

Hand grasping her suitcase she then began striding toward the porch. She then set down the bag and searched her coat for the key. Key in hand, she unlocked the door and pushed the door inward. Stepping onto the porch with the wood creaking under my feet, I hesitantly followed her inside.

The cabin had four rooms in total, being each of our bedrooms, a furnace room across the hall from one bedroom, which also happened to function as the bathroom, and the living room and kitchen which were combined into one room. Every piece of furniture seemed prehistoric, only aiding in the smell of musk and age. Cobwebs dancing in the breeze flowing through the broken windows. Shattered glass peppered the rug in the living room, along with Rattata nests situated in both the kitchen cupboards and inside the currently non functional furnace.

As a whistle of shock seeped into the air thanks to me, my mother seemed unfazed by the disaster zone we were now the owners of.

"Alright Ty, your room is the one across from the bathroom. Go and get yourself settled. I'll clean up some here and work on dinner. Also, if you want to let out Axel just make sure he doesn't get into anything." I gave my mother a curt nod of confirmation as I strolled down the hall to my assigned room.

Axel purred as I let him out of the confines of his pokeball. He quickly scanned the room before peering up at me slowly, his young eyes filled with questions.

"Well Axel, this is our new home. So you're gonna have to get used to it just like I do." This didn't seem to faze the lynx cub at all as he began to squeal and scamper around the room, before climbing up onto my mattress and curling into a small bundle of fur. I then was going to ask him if he was hungry, only to be cut of by an abrupt snore. '_Not this again! How can he go to sleep so suddenly?!' _I grinned at the sight of the small feline that had saved my life not more than three months prior. He had soon became my best friend yet there were many things I never understood. Shrugging, I turned out of the room and walked down the hall, only to stop as the blessed smell of heaven on earth invaded my senses. '_YES! Moms making aspear berry pancakes!' _This was quickly followed by a small jig which accomplished nothing but sending a shockwave through my body as my foot connected with my mother's doorframe.

_'Gaaah! Holy hell that hurts!' _With gritted teeth I hobbled the rest of the way into the kitchen. When my mother saw the look of pain plastered on my face she only shook her head.

"This is why I don't make pancakes! You stub your toe every time you do your little spaz attack!" Laughing with her I lifted a finger proudly.

"Mother, it is a form of art, not some spaz attack!" She only laughed before returning to the coal stove which she somehow manage to get working.

Once the amazing pieces of food only created for gods was served, I began to gobble up the pancakes.

"I still cannot fathom how you can even eat aspear berries, let along like them!" For some reason, I had a peculiar fondness of aspear berries which were one of the most sour berries in existence. Usually the more popular ones were pecha for their sweet insides and delicate outsides, or oran berries as they were the softest and most tender out there.

I just lifted my head from my plate and delivered a large grin, to prove that I was not as others were, that I was who I am.

"Well you are definitely like your father, he had the same addiction to asp-" The clank of my fork hitting the counter top silenced her. Not only her, it silenced the entire room. As if the world was frozen, to stay in perpetual darkness.

With a shake of my head I grasped my fork and continued eating, albeit a bit slower this time. My mother slowly recovered from my reaction to her statement. She sometimes had forgotten how hard it was on me without him. Sighing she collected the plates together in a heap of dishes and berry juice.

"So did you let Axel out yet?"

"Yeah, he is currently asleep on my bed, snoring up a storm. I don't understand why he needs to sleep to much, he doesn't do much physical activity" The demeanour in my voice was hampered some what by my mothers earlier statement but was washed away soon after.

"Well, he will be soon I would imagine."

"What do you mean mom?"

"Ty, have you forgotten about it already? Your journey! You're getting your trainers license tomorrow!"

"What!? Really?!"

She just looked at me, as if I had two heads. "Yeah Ty.. I just said that"

"So when can I go meet Professor Oak for my license and stuff?!" I was nearly suffocating my mother with my excitement. As when I'm around others I am quite mellow, but I was always a young child around my mom.

"We can head down to his lab tomorrow, hows nine sound dear?" All she got in reply was a big ol' thumbs up, followed by a dust cloud I left behind as I dashed down the hall to my room.

I picked up Axel off the bed, shocking him awake, and held him under his front legs.

"Axel! It starts tomorrow! I can finally be a trainer!"

Axel squealed in delight at the sound of an adventure, only to smell the remainder of my dinner and jumping from my grasp he bolted out the door to the kitchen.

I chuckled and laid upon my unmade mattress. As I began to doze off from the exhaustion of the day, all I could think about was the one thing in the back of my mind. Nagging at me like a rash that wouldn't quit.

Would he be proud of me?


	4. Chapter 4: Start of a New Beginning

**I know, it has been forever. I have no excuse other than life just got in the way, and in the past year my life has changed drastically. Both positive and negative. Oh well, all that matters is that I am finally back. I think.**

Human Speech- "Example"  
Pokemon Name- Examplemon  
Pokemon Speech- "_Example"_  
Thoughts- '_Example'_  
Pokemon Moves- **Example Ray**

**Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Nintendo in any way. I do not claim ownership over Pokemon or Nintendo, but I do own my OC's.**

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Drip...drip...drip...drip...

"Daddy? Do you have to go to work today?"

Drip...drip...drip..

"Sorry kiddo, but you know how demanding the guys down at the office can be. I promise when I'm done work I'll be home and we can have some fun! Maybe toss the ol'baseball around outside, sound good?"

Drip...drip...

"Okay daddy! See you later!"

As my father pulled on his rain coat, he pivoted on one heel and gave me a swift hug as I stood with him by the front door to our humble home.

Drip...

He glanced toward the oakwood staircase, a few metres from the door and trailing up the wall onto the second floor.

"Honey, I'm off to the office, be home soon!" All we got in reply was a quiet mumble along with a multitude of harsh coughs.

With his face stern, he gave me a gentle pat on the head, and was on his way. I then sat in the entryway, with the soft entrancing light of the evening sun grace itself upon my sitting figure as its love shone through the beautifully framed windows; the light being altered by the array of raindrops which adorned the surface.

Drip...

I sat there, thinking.. Oh how I missed him already.. the mere seconds felt like an eternity...

Drip...

How naive I was..

Drip...

If only I knew..

Drip...

Like all stories..

Drip...

Life has a beginning and a end.

Silence. Nothing but silence, but as I drifted away from my 7year old self, I knew that his world was about to come crashing down.

I could only watch, paralyzed with fear, that I had to relive this again. Just as I had thousands of times before..

I screamed at myself to leave the door closed, yet I didn't listen.. My youthful soul turned the doorknob and the door creeped open, And once again... I was forced to watch..

My father juggled for his keys and proceeded to open the door of his car, and while doing so his eyes drifted toward my younger apparition and he flashed a loving smile towards me.. Shortly before the world was engulfed in flames.

DADDY NO! NO! N-

"O! DAD PLEASE! N-"

The pressure hit my chest before I knew where I was. Slowly regaining my senses, upon a steady hand I swiftly wiped the tears from my eyes and allowed my gaze to travel about.

Darkness enveloped the chamber, only breaking for the moonlight to stream in through the small window that I had relieved of soot and grime prior to going to bed that evening. My eyes then shifted to my chest, where a small, and fluffy lump repeatedly nuzzled into me.

Ever so slowly, my right hand found its way to the creatures head and began to pet him with shaky movements.

"It's alright Axel, I was just having a nightmare.. We're safe now." The protective Shinx cub raised his head, and looked me in the eye. This was quickly followed by a short mewl from the cub, as if he was asking if I was alright.

"Thanks Axel, but really I'm okay..just a little shaken. Come on bud, we should get back to sleep; got a big day tomorrow"

Axel let loose a squeal of confirmation and bounced toward the foot of my bed, where he promptly curled up on top of my feet.

Great... I'll be lucky if my feet are even functional in the morning... Wait, what time is it?

I swiveled my head to my left to read the alarm clock that sat atop my nightstand: 2:37 AM.

Oh joy...

Well, this was a great start to one of the most important days of my entire life.

I ended up not sleeping a wink for the remainder of the night, as no matter how much I wanted to fall into the world of dreams, my brain would not allow me such a luxury. So, I was subjected to getting out of bed at 7 AM from sheer boredom, and began the morning routine.

After a quick shower and a light breakfast consisting of a yogurt and a few aspear berries, I stood in front of the mirror just staring at myself, as if I was contemplating life.

While there, I took notice of how I had changed from the guy who was jumped on his way home in a rain soaked alley 3 months ago.

A faint scar adorned the space above my left eye, along with a few others on my arms from the violent encounter. Somewhat spiked dark brown hair (and I mean dark, sometimes it is mistaken for black) sat on my head, which reached down and covered the space and stopped right above my light blue eyes. Luckily ,I had grown some in the short period of time, putting me at 5 foot 11. And although I was pretty skinny, I was quite fit, so all the travelling on my journey would be alright with me.

Swiveling on my sluggish feet, I took my leave from the dusty confines of my new home and strolled outside into the crisp summer morning, along with a curious feline in tow. With a fresh breath of air in my lungs, I strolled down the steps of the cabin's porch and made my way to the nearby stream.

Apparently, my calm and exhausted demeanor was having no effect on Axel as he ran circles around me and bounded through the meadow, having the time of his life.

I had come to the conclusion that Axel had always lived in Veilstone City, and had been afraid to venture out into the wilderness beyond the city limits. So, when he finally got his first experience with mother nature, he couldn't seem to get enough.

The soft morning sun illuminated the meadow and allowed Axel to gallop around in relative safety while I tried to lay beneath a tree and rest, but once again fate was just pushing my buttons today.

"Tyson, are you out here?" The traveling voice of my mother called from the direction of the cabin. Sighing in slight annoyance, I propped myself up and climbed to my feet.

"Come on bud, time to go." Axel swiftly responded and fell into step with me as we started the short back to the cabin.

As I approached the front steps, my mother began asking me questions, rapid fire style. It wasn't about where I just was, they were all about if I was prepared to start my journey.

" Did you get extra supplies? Do you have enough medicine? What about food, is the camping pot gonna be big enough? Did you pack multiple pairs of und-"

"Mom-mom-mom, its okay, I got everything under control. I double checked everything when I packed this morning." Even with my reassurance my mother still couldn't wipe the 'protective mother' look off her face. But hey, I'm her only child so I'll cut her some slack.

"I know you're ready Ty, but I don't think I am." Pulling my mom into a quick embrace, I reminded myself that she would be here all alone when I left.

"How about I send a Pokemon to come live with you while I'm travelling, that way you won't be lonely." Luckily, that seemed to lift her mood and we made our way inside.

My mother gave me a gentle smile that said happiness, but I could read my mother quite well and there was a level of sadness and worry buried beneath it. Giving her a brief, yet reassuring; pat on the shoulder, I ventured toward my room only to find Axel trying to squeeze himself under the door.

Shaking my head, I firmly grasped the handle, and with a twist the old oak door swung free allowing the playful cub to spring into the room and plant himself upon my bed.

"Ha, no way bud. If I let you nap now you would never get up for our journey. Let's get ready alright?" I nudged Axel gently as he gave a slight mewl in annoyance but decided to go along with my wishes. Kneeling down, I pulled my traveling pack out from underneath my bed, only to plump it down onto the old yet oddly comfortable mattress.

Once I was satisfied with my packing, I pulled the strong, rain resistant fabric onto my soldiers while making my way toward my bedrooms doorway.

Axel simply strolled passed me and into the narrow hallway, eager to get onto the start of our new adventure. Approaching the semi furnished living room, my mother stood silently adjacent to the sink filled to the brim with soap suds and soft, warm water. Her eyes landed on my prepared self, followed by her gently setting the plate and cloth she had been keeping busy with prior to my entrance.

"All set to go Ty?" I could see it in her eyes that she was in pain, but the pride she felt for me overshadowed it slightly.

"Yeah" I say with a breath, "I am." Together we made our way to the exit of my temporary yet permanent home. With one last embrace, I know that I can make it in the world waiting for me.

Past the dusty porch door...

Down the cobweb covered wooden stairs...

Feet planted into the fertile soil path...

I take my first, proud step, into my future.


End file.
